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Virgin Launches In-Flight Cell Use

Max Nash, AFP / Getty Images

Call it the new mile-high club. Virgin Atlantic announced Monday that it will soon allow passengers to make in-flight calls, send and receive text messages, and surf the Internet on its A330 Airbus flights between New York and London. The airline says it expects the service will be available on 20 planes by the end of 2012, but the privilege of playing Words With Friends in-flight comes at a high price. The airline will charge roughly $1.20 per minute for the service, and only six passengers will be allowed to make calls at once. Cellphone use will still be prohibited during takeoffs and landings. The service is currently available on British Airways and several other Middle Eastern airlines.